prayer by Anselm

I love this prayer.  Today as I think of my husband-pastor, I also see commonalities in our daily needs.  (I especially love that last part.)

Prayer by a bishop for the members of his church (by Anselm)

Jesus, good Shepherd, they are not mine but yours,  for I am not mine but yours.
I am yours, Lord, and they are yours, because by your wisdom you have created both them and me, and by your death you have redeemed us.
So we are yours, good Lord, we are yours, whom you have made with such wisdom and bought so dearly. 


Then if you commend them to me, Lord, you do not therefore desert me or them.
You commend them to me: I commend myself and them to you.
Yours is the flock, Lord, and yours is the shepherd.
Be Shepherd of both your flock and your shepherd.

You have made an ignorant pastor, a blind leader, an erring ruler:

teach the pastor you have established, 

guide the leader you have appointed, 

govern the ruler you have approved.

I beg you,

teach me what I am to teach, 

lead me in the way that I am to lead,

rule me so that I may rule others. 

Or rather, teach them, and me through them, 

lead them, and me with them, 

rule them, and me among them.

Amen.